Boks face All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener at Ellis Park
Springboks enter the All Blacks clash as favourites after winning five of their last six meetings.
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry takes center stage in Johannesburg on Saturday as South Africa's Springboks face off against New Zealand's All Blacks in the opening test match of a four-game series. This marks the 111th meeting between the historic rivals, with South Africa holding a slight edge going into the clash. The Springboks have triumphed five times in the last six encounters, including in the 2023 World Cup final and a recent 34-21 victory over the All Blacks in Wellington.
The Springbok squad boasts an impressive 850 caps among its first fifteen players, with another 193 caps available on the bench. This wealth of experience is attributed to the strategic planning of coach Rassie Erasmus. Captain Pieter-Steph Du Toit acknowledges the role of his experienced teammates, stating, "We have got a really good system and with all our coaches and the players around me and around everyone it makes it much easier...
Being a captain doesn't change anything for me, I am still focused on my game and what I have to do on Saturday."
This will be the first time the Springboks have hosted the All Blacks on a full tour in thirty years. In 1996, New Zealand took the touring side, but this current Springbok team believes their similar experiences will benefit them in the upcoming matches. Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick cites a victorious British and Irish Lions series in 2021 and consecutive World Cup successes in 2019 and 2023 as key parallels.
"The closest thing to probably the greatest rivalry that we are going to be starting now is probably the British and Irish Lions series, where every game counts," Stick emphasizes.
The Springboks are aware of the formidable challenge ahead and focus on maintaining their composure in the breakdown area. Du Toit notes, "New Zealand is going to bring it in intensity and we really believe the lineouts and scrums are going to be where we have to perform well. They are going to try and test us, and at certain points where New Zealand is going to try find gaps, our forwards need to stay switched on and not get caught out."
The series begins at Ellis Park, a significant stadium for both teams – the Springboks defend their spiritual rugby home, while the All Blacks aim to put the 1995 World Cup victory behind them.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
